Stating “the best” 3D printer is a little subjective. It’s like saying “my mom is the best in the world”. Everybody knows my mom is the best, and there can only be one. Anyway, I’ll cover several different models for varying budgets and skill levels.

There are so many factors that influence a decision like this, as well as thousands of different models, that it is impossible to cover every single one. Let me know in the comments below what you think is the best machine!

The best 3D printer you can buy right now is the RepRap Prusa I3 (DIY kit available at Amazon for $350). Not just any Prusa though, you want the Original Prusa i3 MK2 by Prusa Research. This costs $845/739€ in kit form or $1,088/999€ fully assembled. This may seem like a lot of money, especially when this design can be purchased for a lot less money elsewhere, but trust me, this is one seriously good machine.

Josef Prusa designed the original RepRap Prusa, and he continues to improve the design with many useful features.

Notable Features

Automatic mesh bed leveling — This printer can figure out how skewed each axis is, and correct the print accordingly. This means it does not matter if your initial calibration was incorrect!

Multi-material upgrade — Many printers allow you to print with two or more materials. Prusa Research developed a new and unique technique that greatly simplifies the process.

Heat bed with cold corners compensation — A heated bed is required for printing with many materials. The Prusa takes things one step further by compensating for corners being colder than the middle.

In addition to these amazing features, this machine comes with all the tools needed, along with the configuration files needed to get started. This helps you avoid a lot of problems and is something all manufacturers should do. Prusa Research also provides an online manual and excellent support.

If you’re just getting into 3D printing, or want a machine that “just works,” then buy this one! No 3D printer requires no maintenance or comes without problems. Even so, the Prusa is as good as they get. If you’re not convinced, take a look at this multi-material upgrade video:

3D printing on a budget can be very frustrating. Sure, many machines can be purchased for very reasonable prices, but these can sometimes cause more trouble than they are worth. Yes, you can get good results with a cheap machine, but they often require advanced tinkering and component upgrades. This does not often justify the low cost if you are a beginner.

The Wanhao Duplicator i3 V2 is an excellent low budget machine. It can be purchased for $425/495€. Like the RepRap above, This is a Prusa I3 design. Not only are there various modifications and enhancements available for the I3 design, but this particular printer is well made, reliable, and has a large support community.

3D printing is not a fast process. Having to print the same shape hundreds or even thousands of times slows the process down a lot. That said, there are some designs available that can print much faster than others. The DeltaWASP Turbo is one of them. This machine can print models seriously fast — 600mm per second! For comparison, the RepRaps listed above would be doing well to reach 100mm per second.

In addition to the speed, here are some top features:

Notable Features

Print resurrection — Resume a print after a power failure. Very handy!

If you’re looking for a tiny machine, maybe to tuck away in your house or take to work, then the M3D Micro is what you want. Not only is this printer absolutely tiny at 185mm cubed, but it’s also very competitively priced at $300/300€. Naturally, some sacrifices had to be made to keep the size and price this low. You are limited to printing smaller objects, and it does have a reduced plastic (“filament”) capacity.

The M3D Micro does come in a variety of colors, and a whole range of spares are available via their online website, which is good, as no matter how much you know, or how good a printer is, something will break eventually.

3D printers are noisy, there’s no escaping that. There are many tricks you can do to reduce the noise, but should you really need to? The MOD-t by New Matter is easy to use, cheap, and very quiet. Priced at a very reasonable $399/400€, you get some very cool features, that many machines twice the price do not.

Notable Features

Web-connected — You can control this machine from anywhere, on any device.

Ready to use — Comes ready to use straight out the box, and comes with everything you need to start.

Easy to use — A simple setup process and guide will help you get started.

In addition to these features, take a look at the machine — it’s not just another RepRap, but a unique design:

Joe is MakeUseOf's DIY editor. He's a graduate in Computer Science from the University of Lincoln, UK. He's a professional software developer, and when he's not flying drones or writing music, he can often be found taking photos or producing videos.